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More Call Centers, Better Economy?

Note: Before you go on and read, I would just like to let you know that I am no economist, business graduate or an analyst of any kind. what I have written on this post is just an observation of an average Filipino who thinks too much.

Today, news broke out that the Philippines placed first in a study of the best countries in Business English. Of course the media would talk first to the industry that gets affected the most, the Call Center Industry and most definitely the industry leaders were delighted about the news.

Prior to the release of this study me and a friend of mine were talking about the same industry on how I think it measures the standard of living and the general health of the Philippine economy.

So what was on my mind? Here it is

The call center industry prospers because of two things the quality of work that Filipinos provide and the low cost of labor compared to first world countries.

My conclusion? We as Filipinos should look at the call center industry as temporary industry. Why? Because if we use the call center as measurement of our economy's health, as long as the call center industry is growing it just means that our own economy is not doing good.

If our economy is doing good, people with regular jobs will get as much as what we are getting in working for a call center instead of the measly minimum wage that most Filipinos are living at.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that call centers are bad for the economy I just used it to measure the state of our countries economy.

Because if our economy is at par with the first world countries we would earn as much as them right? And if our economy grows and people get the right salaries the low labor cost factor in investing the Philippines would be eliminated. Will this industry survive only because of quality? Possibly.

I may be wrong or something but that is how I see it. I just feel sad that the Philippines is dependent to this industry right now. But I hope that along with the growth of this industry, the government would teach the people working in the call center industry how to save and put up businesses. Yes new business, that is the only way that I see on how we could give the Philippines a real economy sustained by domestic market which may possibly give the country a much more stable economy as it may not get affected by factors abroad.

If my thinking about using such industry as a gauge is right, well it's just sad are we as a nation or maybe just a private individual, would we just be satisfied on this kind of economy? are we giving up the fight to get real progress?

do you agree? or not?

3 comments:

many view call center as a temporary career..Maybe that was how you see it hence you came into this conclusion.I work in the canter for the last 5 years, its practically the same as working in an office.. only that the business hours is odd.I do not deviate among other day job earners because at the end of the work day, we go home to our respective lives earning the food in our table.You could say I work with the mother of call centers here, it has been in business for 15 years now.. It's pretty much permanent although my contract stays project based.. What I'm trying to say Ian is that, Call Center is a gullible business, it doesn't measure up to the standard of the economy, our own economy. But it does with the countries that we service, that much is evident to the many call centers that close or sold out to another because US economy went downhill, but we Pinoys barely felt it. So their assumption using this business is a false premise.